Dear fellow scouts,

1. 2008 marks the start of the second millennium of scouting. We have just turned 100 years old and this is a remarkable achievement for any organization. We should be proud of this because it shows there must be something unique and valuable in scouting which is valued by so many countries and societies.

2. However we should not assume that there is therefore no need for change. Some may assume that if we have done well for a 100 years then we will also do well for the next 100 years if we continue to do the same. This is a fallacy and is dangerous. The world of today is very different from the world of yesterday. In fact the pace of change is now even faster than it was before and so the world of tomorrow is beyond anyone’s imagination. Are we prepared for this change? Do we welcome and embrace change?

3. Let me share with you a story about a cat in an Ashram in India. This cat loves the company of people and so each evening when the priest led his congregation in prayer, the cat would also wander around the prayer hall. The priest felt that the cat was distracting the devotees. So he tied the cat up every evening before the start of the prayers. This practice continued even after the priest passed away. Then one day the cat died too. The temple quickly found a replacement for the cat because everyone thought that tying up a cat during prayers is an integral and important part of evening prayers.

4. The story illustrates a key ingredient or pre-requisite before anyone can even begin to bring about change in any organization or practice. This is the need to examine and understand the rationale or reason behind existing practices. Very often we are afraid to challenge existing practices, like tying the cat in the story, and we just continue doing them even though the circumstances have changed. What is even more dangerous is that we start to create our own reasons for a practice that we do not even understand.

5. My fellow scouts, the word “scout” refers to a person that dares to venture into the unknown and to seek out new adventures and possibilities for his community. The world needs this true scouting spirit more than before because the future is even more uncertain as a result of the rapid changes that are taking place. However, we must be prepared to challenge our present practices and activities, understand them, and then either keep them or throw them away if they are no longer relevant to the present circumstances. Only then can we retain the true spirit of scouting and ensure that we will remain as the largest youth movement in the world.

6. Thank you and have a meaningful Founder’s Day.

I like paragraph 5. I think that this is the best Founder's Day message better than the past years.

It's 2am now and I've finally finished the model hehe. My hands are full of blisters X(. 1 more proposal to go.

Happy Founder's Day and Thinking Day to all Scouts and Guides.

hold me now at 12:19 AM
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